Management Accounting Master Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Accounting Master - Assignment Example The attached report is a proposal to introduce innovations in our management accounting techniques specifically with regard to Activity Based Budgeting related to Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT). The present techniques in place do not seem to be reflecting the changed industry dynamics and priorities. (Lucey, 1993) As discussed at the recent conference we are expecting to develop new products in the engineering cranes and automated fork lift equipment in the 'Premium' segment. These products are expected to be very popular with the automobile industries because of their versatility. Strong business contacts with both the above segment and a referral network are expected to help gain a rapid entry into the market. ABC plans to offer the automobile industries high quality engineering equipment at prices which are competitive relative to other premium quality suppliers in the market. The management of the company believes that the inclusion of precision controls within our products will better serve the needs of the automobile industry. (Garrison, 2003) Conventionally management accountants used forms of variance analysis in arriving at costs. Variance analysis compares the budgeted versus the actual costs of raw material during a manufacturing cycle. Variance can be calculated for both costs and revenue. When costs are allotted to material or labor a standard rate is the benchmark used to compare variances. The standard rate of material versus the actual material cost in the market determines the efficiency of a purchase or labor mechanism. The accepted product costing used volume based measures such as labor hours or labor dollar to allocate indirect costs. Traditional roles allocated to management accountants typically include:- Facilitating the preparation of financial reports Being a part of the strategy forming team Planning optimal resource use Planning and controlling business activity The management accountant is viewed as someone who oversees cost control through a strict regulation of unit prices and labor. (Hansen, 1997) In this context it should be stated that Cash is regarded as an asset that has the ability to generate opportunity cost. This because cash is the most liquid form of asset and these is available on a ready basis. Cash in hand, cash at bank are the most liquid form in terms of currency and checking. These can be enumerated as the instrument of short term

Reading Activity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Activity - Assignment Example As much as women were drawn to humanism, they also got attracted to the scientific revolution and have excelled so much in the field of science. Various women have become lead astronomers, entomologists and great scientists, proving beyond reasonable doubt that women can do better in what previously was male dominated fields. Women like Margaret Cavendish, Mari Merian and Maria Winkelman are classic reference to the importance of educating a woman in the society today (Spielvogel). Despite the difficulties women go through as they try to access education and pursue their careers, women have emerged to be successful and have even excelled more than their male counterparts. It is important for a society to put the girl child on the spotlight in terms of education and career opportunities so that women are empowered to bring about gender parity as well as enlighten the whole society because educating a woman is like educating the whole

Assignment of Religion and Environment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of Religion and Environment - Assignment Example Maya- the Maya religion developed in the west before arrival of the Spanish. They worshipped nature gods such the gods of the sun or rain. The main significance of the ballgame highlights the Mayas belief in life death and rebirth/resurrection. Sabbath- the term Sabbath is derived from the bible in the story of God’s creation in the book of genesis. He created earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. Its significance is for Christians to take rest from their busy schedules and have a day to honor God and keep it holy as written in the commandments. Dukha- the act of trying to grasp, cling, having passion or craving for something that cannot be obtained. Its significance is to ensure religion is based on experimenting all things either natural or spiritual as a meaningful unity. Catharsis- the word catharsis is derived from a Greek word kathoros meaning to purify or keeping it clean. It is used by Christians by using it in the beyond limits of ordinary experience to that free or cleanse souls. Miasma- the term miasma is a Greek mythology that means a contagious power that has another independent life of its own until a wrongdoer who sacrifices to die to help cleanse the society from getting infected by catastrophes (Patton, 2006). What is the myth of Hindu fire mare and how does Patton explain the significance of this myth in relation to environmental pollution. Hindu fare mare is the myth that fire brings images concealing immense energy; it gives a chance of survival to humans and would destroy everything in the end of time. Agni the fire goddess is present in all three worlds and helps settle disputes or act as a witness in ceremonies such as marriage.(patton, 2006) Patton explains that many cultures have made the sea sacred in believing that it can was away dirty or immoral, majorly anything contaminating. In return, the oceans and seas take in limitless amount of waste and the ecologists are slow to act (Illich,

Avoiding Plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Avoiding Plagiarism - Essay Example This reflection paper provides insight into my experience with researching, referencing, and writing academic papers. After a critical analysis of my writing skills, I discovered that I am very cautions with plagiarism. The college has strict policy against plagiarism, which could result in failure in my coursework or even expulsion in extreme situation. To avoid these consequences I have learned how to paraphrase my research, do quotations, and summarize material from secondary sources of information in my own words. According to Neville (2007), it is critical for students to write in their own voice, which is a foremost factor when trying to avoid plagiarism. I am also good at critiquing other author’s ideas. This gives me an opportunity to my make my own contribution to a certain topic by improving on literature available. I believe that every field of research needs new ideas which can be possible through evaluation of literature available and adding your own views. In addition, I take citations very seriously. I discovered that I rely heavily on auto formatting tools in word processing. The over reliance on auto formatting tools can be time consuming and reduces my ability to improve my writing style. According to Wong (2011), students should ensure they master the difference between research and plagiarism. Sometimes after extensive research on a topic, I tend to reproduce the ideas in the same format as the author, which increases my chances of plagiarizing my work. Therefore, I have to use anti plagiarism tools to ensure my work is original. This process can be time consuming and mastering how to avoid plagiarism would increase my confidence when writing academic papers. I have not perfected in text citations, I keep referring to class notes, and I use auto-formatting tools to ensure that all papers I write are cited properly. My plan is to

Intercultural communication class- movie reviewed by applying concepts Review

Intercultural communication class- reviewed by applying concepts - Movie Review Example nitiate the relationship, in this movie, Toula and Ian pursue each other equally despite the conflicts that exist within and across their family and culture. Toula’s father, who is considered as the main cause of conflict, desperately wants her daughter to marry a Greek man and have lots of babies. However she does the opposite and this sparks all this conflicts. The lower context conflict that occurs between Toula and Ian is across cultures. This is because Toula is a Greek and works at her father’s restaurant. According to their family and cultural value and beliefs they should not marry outside their ethnicity. However she ends up falling in love with Ian Miller who is a non-Greek. This high power distance pushes her away from her family and consequently and she tries to seek refuge on Ian family where she also faces discrimination. This conflict between their two cultures tries to pull them apart however they later come to terms with the fact their cultures are different and they overcome the challenges. ( Kehr, D .2002). Conversely, a high context conflict within culture can be seen when Toula has issues with her father in terms of who she should marry. When she falls in love with Ian, who is outside their Greek culture, this pushes her away from her father who disowns her. This is because her father who believes in high power distance had earlier requested that she marry a staunch Greek who she can have many children. To try to overcome this she quits her job in their restaurant moves to the outside world and joins college. Another high context conflict depicted in the movie is the internal conflict within Toula, she is undecided on who to choose between the love of her life Ian and Her beloved family. She is also in doubt on whether Ian should convert to Greek or their families are the one to learn to integrate the two cultures. Regardless of how it is hard making these decisions are, she decides to move away from her family and joins college where

Kerouac and Moon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kerouac and Moon - Essay Example These two people are Dean and Sal. In the course of their journeys around New York, there are several fascinating encounters the two friends come across that both enlightens their views and opinion about the American person and also gives them a peculiar identify of where they two of them also belong in the American society or system. On his part, Heat-Moon William Least in writing Blue Highways takes the story from the perspective of someone who is not meeting love right away but bitterness and pain. This was because the journey that is described in this book was embarked upon by someone who had just separated from his wife and also lost his lost. As a way of finding solace from not just the brighter side of life but the ugly part of it also, the voyager decides to travel along the rural part of America that is often marked by a blue line in Rand McNally road atlas and thus the Blue Highway. It could briefly be said that both works are similar because they are all based on journeys of the life of real people while the setting of the journeys and the causes of the journey brings out the differences in the two books. Likes among both writers Both authors exhibit in their writing and the narration of their journeys, certain things they like about America that are common in both instances. One of these is the seemingly clear love for alcohol. This is shown because Kerouac emphasizes his love for big party with alcohol (Kerouac, p. 53). Similarly, Moon reiterates his love to drink a lot of alcohol (Moon, p. 6). Clearly, reasons as to why these two writers both love the abundance of alcoholic drinks in America could be traced to the circumstances surrounding their trip. On the part of Kerouac, it could be said that he was just putting himself in the most common kind of mood that new friends and lovers put themselves in, which has to do with the sharing of drinks and alcohol to make themselves feel so good. On his part, Moon might have taken to the love for alcohol a s a way of dealing with the pain and grief that his heart bore. The love for alcohol is thus similar among the two writers but the reasons for liking alcohol is quite different. Both writers also exhibit their likeness for music and dancing. Though Moon traveled through the rural part of America and Kerouac travelled through New York, it is common to find that music and dance is something that is synonymous with all parts of America being it rural or urban. This is because while Kerouac who was in the heart of the city wrote that he loves music and dance (Kerouac, p. 53), Moon who was also in the rural setting also wrote that he loves to enjoy his life by dancing off his stress (Moon, p. 9). Regardless of this similarity however, it can be said that the sources of enjoyment that came with music and dance for the two writers were different. For instance in the city, one is likely to party in places like the discotheque or club while in the rural area, all that there is to offer are p ubs and little bars and restaurants. Again, there exist differences in terms of causes of action. This is because while Kerouac’s action was caused by the desire to make himself happy with his friend, Moon’s action was caused by the need to throw off his sorrows. Dislikes among both writers As normal people, it would not be every single thing that these two individuals see about America that they will love. This is especially so as the two had to travel around different places in America. Indeed once a person is travelling around; it is common that he fellow will come across different people and different events that will trigger the person’

How the Majority Adapts to Major Economic Transformations Essay Example for Free

How the Majority Adapts to Major Economic Transformations Essay ALN provided a simplified plus-minus tax cut or tax increase, increased government spending or reduced expenditures analyses of the U.S. political landscape covering the pre- and post-World War period (85; 94-5) up to Bill Clinton’s term as U.S. President (109). ALN’s ‘When Legislators Get Out of Step’ or Chapter 6 of the book ‘Title’ attempted to explain the fiscal policy changes in the United States with regards to constituent preferences on fiscal policy issues; the speed or slowness of legislator actions, inactions, or stances; and constituent-legislator equilibrium or interest-and-action matching from a state of non-equilibrium (92). Meanwhile, ALN’s ‘Key Episodes in the Twentieth Century’ or Chapter 7 of the same book attempted to discuss the drawn out process of fiscal policy change initiatives (110). Chapter 6 basically explained how U.S. political representatives identify, understand, and support the majority while Chapter 7 detailed the U.S. Economy’s shift from agricultural to industrial and the corresponding increase in government spending to support denser population growth in the cities during the pre-World War U.S. economy (94-6). Chapter 7 also suggested that â€Å"voters became more conservative† and legislators â€Å"made an ‘honest mistake’† (110) during the later part of the twentieth century as the reasons behind the slow, yet ultimately, quick trend in tax cuts, and hence, reduced government spending (100-5). The thesis of this paper is that when it came to fiscal policy preferences, U.S. constituent mood swings from conservative to liberal or vice-versa actually reflected a major transformation in the U.S. economy that ALN reasonably examined in Chapter 6 (90-1) and some parts of Chapter 7 (94-7), but failed to identify or support in Chapter 7’s conclusion with regards to the later part of the twentieth century (110). First, ALN observed that U.S. government spending was increased in the early twentieth century but was cut or reduced during the last three decades (83). ALN also observed that some U.S. states followed this trend while others did not (83). ALN called those states that followed the trend as ‘initiative states’ while those states that did not follow the trend as ‘non-initiative states’ (83). Majority of ALN’s observations and analyses are focused on fiscal policies that increase or reduce spending or taxes versus those policies that retain the status quo. ALN pointed out that legislators or politicians that followed the trend are clearly the representatives of the majority while those that did not: â€Å"voted according to their conscience† believing that they know better than the majority (87). In this light, ALN asserted that: â€Å"After all, representatives who want to stay in office will try to please their constituents, and those who flagrantly ignore the wishes of the electorate will eventually be voted out of office† (87). ALN also provided numerous examples on how government spending increased during the U.S. economy’s shift from the agricultural era into the industrial age as the rural economy became weak while the urban economy became strong (94-7). Moreover, ALN cited as an example voters’ preference for increased welfare spending during a recession instead of during an economic boom (90). ALN’s examples appeared to have economic explanations, and dovetailed with Roosevelt’s New Deal and spending economics to pump prime a sluggish U.S. economy during the Great Depression, except in ALN’s discussion of the California Tax Revolt (100; 102-5), Ronald Reagan (102-3; 106; 108-9), and Bill Clinton (109). Here, initiatives for tax cuts have been simply presented and explained as constituency preferences or setting about â€Å"to implement the will of the voters† (103). Second, Chapter 6 or ‘When Legislators Get Out of Step’ provided insights on how legislators deliberately or unwittingly interpret or misinterpret voters’ preferences on certain issues that affect the speed by which fiscal policies change and vice-versa. Meaning, voters too can misinterpret the stances on fiscal policy issues of their duly elected representatives. Both ways, misinterpretations are due to a variety of reasons such as: [a] the diverse portfolio of issues that a politician supports or information overload (88); [b] the great number of politicians that need to be elected in federal, state, and local government offices (88); [c] the distinct interests of politicians compared with ordinary citizens (87); [d] limited information (89); and [e] lack of measurement tools that gauge voter preferences on selected issues (89). According to ALN, these reasons determine the speed or slowness of a politician to adapt to a fiscal policy change that the majority of constituents prefer. Ultimately, the politician catches up with the preference of the voting majority. Otherwise, politicians get voted out of office. Meanwhile, Chapter 7 or ‘Key Episodes in the Twentieth Century’ provided an insight into how a visionary initiates the process of fiscal policy change (102), how the initiative slowly gains momentum (102), and how the initiative affects the majority of the voters eventually resulting in a fiscal policy change (103-5). However, ALN’s discussion of the slow fiscal policy change did not refer to any economic explanations even though the time period graphically shown in Figure 7.3 illustrating the growth of support for tax cuts from 1968 to 1979 in California (104) can be dovetailed with major economic events that occurred during this time such as the oil crisis of the 1970s; the emerging trend in Japanese car imports; or the beginnings of offshore manufacturing plants. Essentially, the slow gain in momentum of the California tax cut that was initiated by Philip Watson could also be attributed to lack of information, both from the point of view of politicians and the voting constituency of California State. This is for the simple reason that: Watson may have had been ahead of his time. For the purpose of this paper, it can be conjectured that Watson may have had seen, evaluated, or assessed economic events that were unfolding during his time that eventually resulted in the trend of tax cuts and reduced government spending. For instance, U.S. consumer preference for more fuel-efficient and cheaper Japanese cars could have had a positive externality that politicians would initially favor for the sake of the bigger majority of consumers. However, the same situation has a negative externality in the sense that U.S. car manufacturing jobs will be greatly affected when demand for Japanese cars rise while those for US-made cars plunge. Due to the multiplier effects of the US automotive industry on the US economy, tax cuts would essentially counter the side effects of cheaper, Japanese automotive goods such as: [a] lost jobs from direct and indirect automotive industry businesses; [b] lesser US worker and business income due to international competition; and [c] lesser demand for other US goods due to reduced purchasing power of US workers and businesses. On the contrary, since tax cuts would basically reduce government spending due to lesser government funds, major US businesses and US workers could be negatively affected by these tax cuts. Cause and effect-wise, politicians initially favoring the preference of the majority of consumers could eventually be doing a disfavor to the majority of constituents who have had lost jobs and reduced income. In this sense, ALN appeared to have had ignored the cause and effects brought about by the economic externalities on the US political landscape. Third, ALN tried to tie-up several theories on voter preferences and the will of the majority in Chapter 6 with the California Tax Revolt story (100; 102-5) in Chapter 7 to illustrate how ‘voters became more conservative’ (86) and how politicians make ‘honest mistakes’ (87). ALN basically explained in Chapter 6 how US politicians identify their supporters and voters to win an election; how they understand voter preferences; and how they support the majority of their constituents. In Chapter 7, ALN explained how the voting majority of the early twentieth century changed from rural into urban citing the change in economy as the main reason behind such change in fiscal policy. ALN noted the mass migration of the rural population into the cities albeit political structures initially favored the rural population that eventually became the minority (94). In time, city dwellers gained stronger political influence and hence had greater say in US government. One point that appears to have been left out in ALN’s discussion is the nature of initiative states and non-initiative states. It can be postulated that initiative states appear to be states with highly urbanized majorities while non-initiative states appear to have highly rural majorities. This is an area that has not been thoroughly explored to explain the fiscal policy gaps between initiative states and non-initiative states. This crucial point could explain why fiscal policy change in non-initiative states are slower or appear to favor the status quo. A conjecture is that the dominant economy of a particular non-initiative state may be less affected by major economic transformations compared with initiative or highly urbanized states, or those with highly developed economies. In another light, ALN seemed to have succeeded in recognizing the following: [a] â€Å"a change in the aggregate economic environment can alter the electorate’s views about the desirability of government programs;† and [b] â€Å"preferences also change as people learn about the consequences of policies;† (90). However, even though economic transformations and externalities have been recognized in the latter, ALN did not offer any economic explanations as to why ‘voters became more conservative’ in the later part of the twentieth century, specifically in favoring and voting for a tax cut. It would have been more reasonable if ALN explored the tie up of voter preferences with economic transformations and externalities rather than simply stating that voters became more conservative in the later part of the twentieth century. The said statement appears to imply that fiscal policy can change on the mere whim of the majority, or a visionary, when in fact policy changes start due to changes in the economy as ALN reasonably observed but insufficiently supported for the tax cut and reduced government spending. On the contrary, ALN successfully tied up the same premise for increased government spending in the early part of the twentieth century. The idea that changes in fiscal policy reflect the changing nature of voter preferences could be more in line with the argument that voter preferences change with a corresponding change in the general economic condition. Economic changes are basically brought about by improvements or innovations in technology that affect how people make or earn their living as ALN correctly observed. It is also noteworthy that policy changes trigger a corresponding effect that could either be positive or negative. Initially, the political intention or cause might be for favoring the majority but due to some unexpected effect, the welfare of the majority becomes compromised. This could explain why some politicians appear to be slow in immediately discerning the preferences of the majority. The arguments here have already shown that favoring the preferences of the majority could in fact have unintended side effects that could eventually disfavor the majority. When the capacity of constituents to make a living becomes threatened or is at risk, it becomes relatively easy to recognize that: when it came to fiscal policy preferences, U.S. constituent mood swings from conservative to liberal or vice-versa actually reflected a major transformation in the U.S. economy. Work Cited Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name, Author’s Middle Name Initial. â€Å"Key Episodes in the Twentieth Century.† Title of Book. Year of Publication. . â€Å"When Legislators Get Out of Step.† Title of Book. Year of Publication.